April 28, 2010

Landscaping Update

Greetings from the Landscape Committee! Now that the long, cold winter has passed and the growing season is upon us, we would like to update you on the status of the landscaping in Marais. We have been diligently working to improve and enhance our landscape. Recently, we completed the selection process for our landscape maintenance contract. Three out of four landscape companies we contacted responded with proposals. While proposals from two of the companies were closely comparable, the Committee selected our current vendor Forever Green based not only on their familiarity with our community but also on the pricing we were able to negotiate. Forever Green provided us with a reduced monthly maintenance fee and has included chemical applications (turf fertilization, weed control, and pre-emergent) and aeration at no additional cost. The Committee would like to offer our thanks to Pete and Debra Taylor for their assistance in this process and for the many hours they have contributed over the years in making our landscape so beautiful.

Over the next few weeks, we will be installing new flowers at the front entrance and redesigning selected pine straw beds to include more sod and reduce our spend on pine straw. The spring pine straw installation will take place after the sparkle washing is complete in mid-May. We will also be undertaking improvements to the curb appeal, primarily in areas most visible to the entire community.

We would like to thank those of you who are sprucing up for spring by refreshing your container gardens and hanging baskets. Please contact Jeannie Champlin with Island Realty (jeannie@islandrealty.com) with specific requests for landscape changes or with any concerns. As always, we welcome and appreciate your input. We do ask that you do not address the workers with Forever Green directly as they have specific tasks to accomplish each week. Also, please be reminded that homeowners should refrain from trimming, planting or removing landscape materials without prior approval from the Committee. For more information on landscape guidelines, please visit our page on the Marais website at http://maraispoa.org/?page_id=251.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and support and we wish you a great summer!

Sincerely,

Marais Landscaping Committee (Nancy McNeill & Barbara Johnson) &
Jeannie Champlin, Association Manager

The goal of the landscape committee is to ensure that the original intent of the landscape developer’s plan be protected and maintained. The Marais community should continue to be aesthetically pleasing to homeowners and visitors.

Attached is the list of approved plantings.  These may be planted without approval, but must be removed by owner when seasons change or plants die, whichever occurs first.  Additional information may be found in Section 4.10 of the covenants and restrictions set forth by the Marais POA.

Individual owners may not remove, trim, or replace plants, shrubs, trees or other landscaping in the community without prior approval of the landscape committee.  Specific requests for landscape changes should be addressed to the landscape committee or requests for change may be sent to Jeannie Champlin with Island Realty (jeannie@islandrealty.com).

The landscape committee will use the following guidelines when changing one or more shrubs and or trees:

• Written or verbal request from the homeowner.
• Approved plant material consists of those species originally used by the landscape developer and must be currently planted within Marais.For use of greenery which is not currently planted on the Marais property residents may use their own containers for specimen planting.  These plants may not be planted in the ground or attached to the home itself in any way. Vines or creeping plants which are attached to the home in any way are not permitted. In keeping with the Marais tradition of a naturalistic seaside community we request you confine your containers to slate, stone, terracotta, earthenware. Plastic is not considered a natural flower container. Care of their potted plant/s is the homeowners responsibility. The homeowner must dispose of their plants at the end of the growing season. Pots not in use should be stored where they cannot be seen.They should not impede the scheduled landscapers work.
• Depending on complexity of the request, a time may need to be scheduled with our landscape designer, landscape committee, and the homeowner to evaluate the property.
• Following the plan’s approval a start and completion date will be determined.
  • 3 gallon (minimum) containers for replacement shrubs.
    
  • Tree size to be determined by placement.
    
• Any request by a homeowner to replace existing landscaping with a newer one will be at the homeowner’s expense.
• Due to lack of irrigation around some of the units, homeowners may be asked to water new plantings until established, as suggested by the landscaper.
• Starting November 1, 2008 homeowners may choose from a list of 3 designers who have been approved by the landscaping committee.  These designers were chosen for their experience, selection of plant material, and reasonable cost factors.  Please contact Jeannie at Island Realty for details.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation. We wish you a great Summer season!

Forever Green does not charge us for their landscaping plans.

*Palm Trees and Garden Center of South Carolina, Inc. located on Hwy #17 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina  offers all Marais residents a 10% discount on any plant material purchased from them.